Transcending All Odds
by Azura Nagomii
Summary: Bryan was always happy with his elder sister. But everything changed when she killed herself. While searching through her things, Bryan learns a terrible truth about himself. In this story, we see as Bryan goes on a life changing journey. [warning:Slash b
1. The truth is revealed

"Transcending All Odds"

Ch. 1

Bryan found himself staring at the Gate… the door to another world. How did he end up here you ask? How did what seemed like a normal day in the everyday life of 18 year old Bryan Greenstone turn in something out of this world? Maybe we should rewind to that morning… when things first started.

§§§

Bryan yawned, sitting up in bed and stretching. Today was going to be a good one… he felt it. He got up and made his way down the hall way to the bathroom. He ran in to his elder sister, Danielle or as people used to call her Demonica.

"Good morning sister," he grinned. "After my shower, how about I make some pancakes for both of us."

Danielle sighed, shaking her head. "No Bryan, I'm not hungry. I just wanted to tell you I will be going away for a while… you can take care of yourself for a bit, right?"

Bryan hesitated, looking at his sister. He remembered a time when he had to look up at his sister, but now Bryan had grown taller than her and she seemed frailer than she used to be. "Is… something wrong, sister?" he asked worriedly.

"No brother dear," she said smiling warmly, "I just want some time to myself. I'll be back before you know it."

"Well… okay if you say so. I'll be counting the days till you get back, Danielle," Bryan said, kissing her on the cheek.

"Don't worry too much about me, Bryan. You've become such a worry-wart lately." Danielle chuckled.

"You're my sister, Danielle… I will always worry about you," Bryan said solemnly.

"Well don't… Good bye brother dear. I will see you again soon" Danielle hugged him and left.

§§§

Bryan was eating his pancakes when there came a knock at the door. "Coming," he said getting up and heading for the door.

When he answered the door he frowned when he saw it was Dominick. "What is it Dominick… they let you out the zoo early?" he sneered.

"Come now Bryan, we're both adults; must you stoop so low as insults?"

"What do you want? I don't have time for your crap!"

"My have you grown up… I was wondering… where is your sister?" Dominick tried to look inside the house, but Bryan kept blocking his view.

"You missed her by 30 minutes… she went on a trip and she won't be back for a while. Now that, that's out of the way you can leave!"

"Aw, but Bryan I just got here," Dominick said slipping in to the door. Dominick arched an eyebrow. "That isn't like Demonica to take random trips."

"Her name is Danielle… get it right. She doesn't belong to you anymore. So I suggest you leave now."

Dominick turned around and grinned at Bryan. "You haven't forgiven me have you?" he asked.

"You mean molesting me on a daily basis and hurting my friends?" Bryan asked. "Let me think about it; um… no."

Dominick floated over to Bryan and began to rub his shoulders. "Come now, Bryan. Let bygones be bygones, hm? I forgave you for marring my beautiful face, why can't you forgive me?"

"Because…" Bryan said shaking. "What you did was unforgivable!" he shouted, knocking Dominick away.

"Humph! Fine… be that way. But don't think I have given up on you." Dominick laughed just before disappearing.

Bryan looked at the place Dominick was once standing. That bastard just wouldn't leave him alone. Bryan would never have a day's peace while Dominick was still around. But how do you kill someone that is immortal?

§§§

Bryan was doing the laundry when he heard the door bell ring. He sprinted to the door and answered smiling. "Azura, what a surprise, what are you doing so far from Tokyo? How's Gerald doing?" He asked

"It's great to see you too. I just felt like visiting my favorite little fire starter. And Gerald's bringing the stuff in," Azura said, pointing behind her where they could see Gerald carrying two large suitcases.

"Gerald, you need help with those?" Bryan asked.

Gerald just shook his head and he set the bags down. "I'm sorry for the short notice… but Azura insisted," he said.

Bryan chuckled. "That's okay; Danielle's on a trip so we have extra room for you. Come on in."

"Demonica on a trip…? That doesn't sound like her," Azura said, as she and Gerald walked in to the house. "I hope she hasn't gone and done something stupid."

Bryan sighed. "I'm a little worried about her. She's the only family I have left… I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her."

"Don't worry Bryan, I am sure she will be fine," Gerald said reassuringly.

"Thanks Gerald, I hope you're right."

"Hey Bryan, you mind making some tea for your honored guests? It's Japanese tradition to make your guests tea." Azura smiled.

"Sure Azura, it would be my honor." Bryan giggled and he went in to the kitchen to make their tea.

§§§

Danielle walked up to two headstones and fell to her knees, bowing her head. "Mother… father… I have failed you." Tears began to slip silently down her cheeks. "I can no longer live this life of lies." She began to shake uncontrollably.

"So I am here," she took out a sword, "to make up for it by ritual suicide…" Danielle readied the sword; the blade pointed to her stomach. "Please forgive me… I have wronged you… I have wronged myself… and more importantly I have wronged my brother."

She tightened her grip on the sword and with all her might, she thrust it in to her stomach, spilling blood on the tombstones and the freshly fallen snow. As Danielle fell to the ground, she saw an image of her brother with her last breath she whispered, "Good bye… brother dear…"

§§§

"I wonder where my sister went anyway…" Bryan wondered out loud as he made tea for Gerald and Azura. Suddenly he stopped short, dropping the tray with the cups and fell to his knees coughing up blood. "No… it can't be…"

_.:Flashback:._

_"My dear brother… we are linked both body and soul," Danielle said, cupping Bryan's face with her hands. He was 15 years old. "If anything were to happen to any one of us… the other would feel their pain," she said harshly. "Don't you forget brother dear; don't you forget."_

_"Never sister… I will never forget…"_

_.:End flashback:._

Bryan quickly ran out the door, ignoring Azura's cries of protest. He was going to the one place he knew he would find his sister. The only place she would go; his parent's graves.

"Damn it Danielle, if anything was to happen to you, I don't know what I would do!" he cried as he ran down the road to the local cemetery where their parents were buried.

Danielle and Bryan had lost their parents at a very early age in a car accident… or at least that's what Danielle told him. He can't remember what happened that day.

When Bryan reached the tomb stones he stopped short. "No… Danielle…" He knelt beside her body and propped her up. "Please wake up… don't leave me!" He cried.

She was a deathly blue and she wasn't breathing. "Why did you have to do it Danielle? Why!" he cried, tears steaming down his face. "Danielle… you were all I had… why… didn't… didn't you love me?" Bryan buried his face in her chest sobbing uncontrollably.

Tilting his head back he looked in to the sky. "Are you happy now! You finally have her you bastard!" He shook his head dropping against his chest in defeat.

Azura and Gerald came up from behind him. "B-Bryan…?" Azura asked hesitantly. She reached for him but Gerald stopped her.

"Leave him be, Azura… you can't help him now."

"Why… why… WHHHHYYYY!"

§A week later§

Bryan walked in to the house. He had just gotten back from Danielle's funeral. Azura and Gerald followed him in.

"It was a beautiful service…" Gerald said, sitting down. "Danielle couldn't have looked more beautiful."

"Yeah… it was… she was…" Bryan replied. "Excuse me… I'm going to go take care of Danielle's things…" Bryan made his way down the hall to his sister's room.

Bryan was rummaging around when Azura came in. "You need help kiddo?"

He shook his head. "That's okay, Azura… you and Gerald can go home… don't stay on my account."

"Bryan… you're like family to me. I won't leave you now…" Azura said, walking up to him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders and squeezing him gently.

"Thanks, Azura… I think the same way about you too." Bryan went back to sorting through Danielle's things.

Then he came upon a closet. He opened the door and gasped. Instead of a closet, it led to an entirely new room.

All on the walls and floor there were symbols… circles of some type. "What… is this?"

"There alchemy circles…" Azura replied, walking in to the room. "I know… Jeckle studied alchemy for a while; but when I asked him to teach me… he refused. It must have been something bad."

Bryan looked around the room when his gaze fell upon a desk piled up with papers and journals. He picked up one of the journals and opened it to a page.

**_June 17, 1993: I have begun my Alchemy study. My master has been teaching me well. Today I fixed a vase. At the rate I'm going, I will hope to finally bring him back, just you wait and see. _**

Bryan shook his head confused and flipped to another page.

**_August 20, 1993: What have I done! I tried to bring him back… but… he's not even human. He's just… a pile of flesh and… I can't even say! My master started feeding him some red stones. He says it will turn him human. I only pray he is right._**

"What… who is this "He"? And what master is she talking about?"

"I don't know… keep reading… maybe it'll tell us more." Azura said.

**_September 3, 1993: He's back to normal! Master Dominick has done it! I finally have my brother back!_**

_**No… he keeps attacking me! Why? Master Dominick is angry… he keeps calling brother dear a homunculus… what is a homunculus? Is it something bad?**_

_**What! He doesn't have soul? No… this can't be… no… all my work for nothing? He keeps attacking me! Why Bryan? Why do you attack me? Kill you? No I would never!**_

**_Master Dominick has decided to erase his memory… so he will act like a normal boy. I am ending my alchemy practices. It is no good._**

****Bryan put the journal down; he was shaking uncontrollably. "No… this can't… this can't be…"

"A… a homunculus… what…?" Azura turned to look at Bryan to find him shaking uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face. "Br-Bryan…?" She asked hesitantly, reaching over to him.

"NO! IT CAN'T BE THIS WAY!" Bryan screamed, clutching his head. "No… no… I… I remember now… I died that day… along with my parents… I… I'm supposed to be dead. I want to die… how could she… how could she bring me back in the world like this! And how could HE!"

Bryan ran out of the room, Azura at his heels. "Bryan, wait! Gerald, stop him!" she cried.

Gerald jumped up and stood in front of him but Bryan just blasted him with a fire ball and he ran out the door.

Azura knelt beside Gerald. "Gerald, we have to stop Bryan… he's going to… he's going to do something he's going to regret!"

§§§

Bryan marched up to Dominick's castle and began to pound on the door. "Open up, you fucker!" he growled. Suddenly the door opened and he walked inside.

There was a huge transmutation circle in the middle of the floor. Bryan looked up to see Dominick floating above him.

"I've been expecting you, Bryan. I knew this day would come and," he chuckled evilly, "I'm ready for it."

"You, bastard…!" Bryan cried, "You made me in to a monster! A soulless monster…!"

"Is that the thanks I get for bringing you back to life… for giving you a second chance?" Dominick snapped.

"This isn't what I wanted! You took me away from my peace… my parents didn't die in a car crash… I KILLED THEM!" Bryan shouted. "And then… then… I killed myself when I realized what I had done… And when you brought me back all I could feel was the crushing guilt and pain! I wanted to die! I never wanted a second chance!"

"You forget, I'm not the one who did the act. It was your sister…"  
"Yeah! Well who gave her the power to do something like that! You and your fucking, sick pleasures! You like playing with human lives; you like to see them suffer and you just like rubbing salt in their wounds to make the scream louder! Well I won't take it any more! No more hiding behind my sister's skirts! This time, it won't just be your eye I take; I'm taking your life!" He shouted and he ran towards Dominick, both hands on fire.

"I was expecting you would do that." Dominick said, floating to the ground. "You didn't read any of Demonica's notes, did you? She was studying the Gate. A fascinating place really… It's… WHERE YOU CAME FROM…!" He shouted, slamming his hands on to the ground once Bryan had stepped in to the transmutation circle.

Bryan gasped as he was engulfed in a blinding light. The last thing he saw was Dominick laughing maniacally.

§§§

And thus we find our dear Bryan. Looking up at the Gate he suddenly felt at peace. He felt that something was going to change for him.

"Am I dead… finally?" He asked, tears brimming his eyes. Suddenly the Gate opened and inside he could see thousands of eyes. He felt suddenly drawn to them; like a connection.

_"It's… WHERE YOU CAME FROM…!"_

That's what Dominick had said, right? Were these other homunculi not yet born? All of a sudden, black tentacles shot forward and began to wrap around Bryan's body.

He closed his eyes and quietly accepted them. "Yes… if this is to be my fate then I accept it fully…"

The black tentacles pulled him in to the Gate and it closed behind him.

§§§

Azura and Gerald burst through the front doors of Dominick's castle, Azura charging up a spell and Gerald holding his gun. "Okay Dominick, where his he…!" Azura screamed.

Dominick turned to look at them calmly. "I'm afraid you are far too late my little sister. I have sent him back to where he belongs… the other side of the Gate…"

Azura lunged at him and grabbed him by the color of his dominatrix outfit and began to shake him violently. "BRING HIM BACK YOU, BASTARD!" She shouted in rage.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Once you go through the Gate… you can never come back!"

Tears spilled down Azura's cheeks. "I don't care what you say; bring him back NOW!" She cried.

"Azura… it's no use… even if Bryan could be brought back, do you really think Dominick would do it?" Gerald asked.

Azura cried out in desperation and she threw Dominick away. "I failed him… how could I just let this happen to him! Bryan was like a son to me… I took care of him when Demonica couldn't… I loved him like he was my own! I promised I would protect him forever… and I failed him!"

"I never knew you loved him that much, Azura…" Gerald whispered. "I understand how you feel. Not being able to protect the ones you love. I've experienced that feeling twice. First with my mother… then my baby sister… Azura my love, I will help you get Bryan back, no matter what it takes."

Gerald walked over to Dominick, picking him up by the collar. "Take us to him… now!"

"You want to go through the Gate… are you insane!" Dominick cried.

"Yes… I am… I'm insane with rage and you're lucky I haven't ripped your face off…" Gerald said calmly. "Now take us to Bryan... or I will teach you the true meaning of agony!"

"Gerald…" Azura breathed, looking at him. Now she remembered why she had fallen in love with him.

"Fine, fine, fine…! But don't expect me to help you get back! You'll have to figure that out on your own."

"I don't care if we don't come back! As long as I'm with Bryan again…" Azura said solemnly.

"Yes… and I have nothing to come back to… so Azura and I have nothing to lose. Now, do as you're told."

"Very well, let me go."

Gerald let Dominick go and he ran out of the transmutation circle. "Now you may experience some light headedness but that is to be expected. Hold on to your pants, it's going to be a bumpy ride…" Dominick said, just before activating the transmutation circle.

§§§

Bryan moaned; find himself lying face down in the dirt. Where was he? He looked around to find himself lying in the middle of some sort of field. Was this… heaven? He heard a cow moo in the distance. Nope. Suddenly Bryan felt light headed and he passed out.

"What's this? A young man…?" A woman asked, kneeling beside the unconscious Bryan. She turned him over and gasped to find the Homunculus tattoo on his stomach. "I should bring you inside… even if you are a homunculus… you were once human and I can't just leave you out here…" she picked Bryan up and carried him away.

Only a few minutes later, Gerald and Azura arrived. Gerald, like Bryan, wound up face first in the dirt, while Azura arrived, floating in the air.

"Where is he? He should have been here…" Azura said, looking around.

"Maybe he was transported somewhere else…" Gerald said, getting up and brushing himself off.

"Damn that stupid Dominick! He will have to deal with me when I get back! Come on Gerald, let's find some shelter," Azura said and the two made there way toward civilization, not knowing they were walking away from where Bryan was.


	2. Things start getting started

"Transcending All Odds"

Ch. 2

"Good morning, Sensei," Edward greeted, walking in.

Sensei smiled. Good morning to you, Edward. It's good to see you again. How are you and Alphonse doing?"

"We're fine, thanks," Edward replied. He looked over and saw Bryan asleep on the couch. "Who's the kid?"

"I found him unconscious outside my house yesterday. He's been sleeping all this time. The poor thing looked so helpless and alone I just couldn't leave him out there."

"I wonder how he got there… he doesn't look like he's around from here… just look at his hair… it's orange like fire…" Edward reached over and pushed aside a wayward strand of hair that had fell in Bryan's face. "He looks so young… I wonder what he's doing all the way out here on his own," Edward wondered aloud.

Suddenly Bryan yawned and he slowly opened his eyes. When he saw Edward staring at him he screamed and jumped away. "Who are you! What do you want with me!" Bryan cried.

"Whoa, it's okay… I won't hurt you…" Edward tried to calm him down.

"Then what were you doing just staring at me like that?" Bryan was blushing deep red by this time.

"Nothing… I was just checking up on you…" Edward looked away mumbling to himself.

"Oh…" Bryan crawled over to Edward, getting really close. "Thank you…" he said, just before kissing him on the cheek."

Edward's eyes widened in shock and he blushed a bright red. "Wha…?"

Sensei walked in and smiled. "I see he's finally awake. Good, I was starting to get worried."

Bryan looked over at Sensei. "Did you… did you take me in?" He asked.

"Yes, I did. My name is Izumi, but you may call me Sensei."

"Sensei…" Bryan said thoughtfully. He had once heard Azura call Jeckle that, years ago… when he was still teaching her the ways of the Demon race.

"Sensei… why… did you help me…? You didn't have to… yet you did anyway." Bryan looked down.

"How could I not help you? I couldn't just leave you lying there. Now, what is your name?" Sensei asked.

"My name isn't important… but it's Bryan…"

"Well Bryan, here are some new clothes for you to change in to," Sensei laid out white tank top and jeans. "I also have to go in to town to get a few things. Edward here will look after you and help you to change, okay?"

Bryan just nodded and Sensei left. Bryan looked over at Edward and blushed, looking away. "I don't need help…"

"That's fine with me," Edward muttered and he turned away as well, until he heard Bryan take a sharp intake of breath and start to cough. "What's wrong!" He turned back around and gasped.

Bryan was on his hands and knees gasping and coughing up blood. "Why… why is this happening?" He whimpered. "It hurts… so bad… like someone stabbing me in the stomach over and over again…"

"Come on, you have to lie down," Edward said, helping Bryan up and placing him on the couch again. "What happened to you?"

"I remember fighting someone… then he… used a transmutation circle on me and… before I knew it I was… I was looking up at this huge gate and all these black tentacles came for me. I thought I was dead but then I woke up on the ground and then… here…"

"Gate…?" Edward repeated in shock.

"Yeah… I really thought it had… decided to take me back. Considering what I am. I didn't think they could give you a third chance…"

"What…?"

Bryan took his shirt off to reveal a Homunculus tattoo on his abdomen. "Do you… like it Edward? It's the brand of… a monster…" Tears slid down his face. "I just wanted to die…" Bryan coughed again, the blood pouring down his chin. "I just… want peace…"

Edward just watched in horror.

Suddenly Bryan walked over to Edward and took a hold of his right hand and lifted it to his throat. "Kill me Edward… please. It would make me happy to be killed by someone as handsome and kind as you…" Bryan stopped for a second and looked at his arm closer. "You're arm… it's so heavy…"

"That's because its auto mail… an artificial limb. It's a price you pay… for trying to do human transmutation."

Bryan stared at him in horror. "You're… an alchemist?" Bryan backed away from him, shaking. "It's because of alchemists that homunculi are born… Why do you have to be so God damned selfish? Accept our deaths and go on with your God damned lives…" Tears streamed down Bryan's face.

"I should be dead… not alive suffering the guilt of what I did oh so many years ago… and why did my elder sister bring me back to life… for her own selfish reasons… Now she's dead… she killed herself… another selfish act. I hate you all. I—"

Suddenly Edward pulled Bryan in to an embrace. "I'm sorry…"

Bryan's eyes widened in shock, when he found his cheek pressed up against Edward's warm chest. "W-what? I don't…"

"You're right… we are selfish… but we are only human… we don't understand the consequences of what we are doing. But you have to understand… your sister only did what she did because… because she loved you. Like my brother and I loved our mother…"

Bryan breathed in sharply. "You… made a Homunculus of…"

Edmund didn't say anything.

Bryan suddenly pushed him away and looked at him. "You tried to transmute your own mother?" He began to back away shaking. Suddenly he fired a fire ball at Edward.

Edward dodged it but Bryan kept shooting fire ball after fire ball at him, some of them hitting him.

Just then Bryan stopped and he fell to his knees coughing up blood.

Edward walked over and knelt beside Bryan.

"Just get it over with and kill me already… I don't deserve to live…" Bryan cried.

"No… I won't… I won't kill you," Edward said solemnly. "I don't want to take another's life."

Bryan looked up at him, tears streaming down his face with a look of rage. "Damn you! Just kill me! I want to… I want to die!" He cried.

"No…"

Bryan growled. "Bastard…!" He cried, slapping him. He bowed his head shaking and suddenly he slumped over in a faint.

Edward sighed, wiping away the tears that had started to slip down his face.

§§§

Bryan woke up to the sound of the clock chiming. He was still alive. Bryan looked down to see his clothes had been changed. The clothes smelled of Edward. He suddenly remembered the look on Edward's face when Bryan had asked him to kill him. Edward had looked so sad… so full of pity.

Bryan sat up and sighed. He went to run his hand through his hair but he found it was bound in a pony tail. "Why… why are you being so kind?" Bryan thought.

Suddenly there came a knock at the door. Bryan looked around and when he saw that no one was around he got up and answered the door. "Yes, can I help you?" He blinked confused when he saw no one was there. He suddenly looked down to see a small bundle of some sort.

Bryan picked it up. Attached to it was a note which read: "For a fellow Homunculus. Eat up."

He arched an eye brow confused and opened the bundle to find little red stones. "Are… these the stones my sister wrote about?" Bryan whispered. He slipped one in his mouth and found it tasted good. He then began to eagerly scarf down the rest.

"That's right, eat them all up," Trent, the vampire lord, chuckled, watching from the shadows.

"Aren't we going to nab him yet?" Envy asked impatiently.

"Not yet, my dear Envy. We need to take our time. First we gain his trust and then we get him," Trend explained.

"Okay, it's your plan."

§§§

Gerald walked down the road, Azura trailing behind him. "Come now, Azura, pick up the pace," Gerald said, looking back at her.

She groaned. "But… I'm just so hungry! We've been walking for miles and we still haven't found a house! I'm starved!" Just to prove her point her stomach growled.

"Azura, you just have to get used to it. When I lived with my father, there were times when I would go for a week without being fed."

Azura just groaned. "That's it, I can't go on!" Azura collapsed to the ground. "Just leave me, Gerald. Go save yourself!"

Gerald sighed, rolling his eyes. "Huh?" Gerald looked over to see a young boy with dirty blond hair tied in a pony tail and a red coat staring at them. "Um…"

"Do you need some help?"

Azura looked up and smiled. "Yes! We haven't had food for almost two days!" She cried, crawling over to the boy and grabbing on to the collar of his coat.

"Actually, it's only been twelve hours since the last we ate…" Gerald simply stated.

Azura turned around glaring at him. "Shut up."

The young boy laughed. "Sure, come with me. My name is Alphonse Elric by the way, what's yours?"

"Well," Azura said, hopping up, "I'm glad you asked. My name is Azura Nagomii, renowned half-demon goddess. You've probably already heard of me."

"Um, not really…"

Azura fell over with a loud thud. "Oh what a cruel world…"

"Granny, we're home!"

"Welcome back Alphonse dear," Granny, a short old woman, said coming in to the room.

When Azura and Gerald went inside they saw a man with an 'x' shaped scar on his forehead, a woman with brown hair and pink bangs holding a child and a young girl with blond hair and bandana.

The five just stared at each other until Alphonse finally piped up, "Everyone this is Gerald and Azura. She says she's a renowned half-demon goddess where she comes from. Gerald, Azura, this is Scar, Rose, and Winry."

Suddenly Scar got up, glaring at Azura.

Gerald stood in front of her and placed his hand on his gun. "Don't worry Azura, if he tries to attack I can take him on," he whispered to Azura.

"Move aside… Gerald… I do not wish to harm you, but if you insist on getting in my way I will have to eliminate you. If she is what she says she is… a demon… then she goes against Ishbala Himself."

"I'm sorry, but I won't let you harm my lover," Gerald growled. "And if you insist on trying to kill her," Gerald pulled his gun on Scar, "Then let me send you to your so-called God."

"You dare pull that on me?" Scar grabbed Gerald's arm. "May Ishbala, pass judgment on you..." Suddenly Gerald's arm exploded up to just a little past the elbow.

Gerald's eyes went wide in shock and he just stood there for a second. He looked down at where his arm once was and he placed his other hand over the end of it while the blood poured on to the floor. Finally he screamed out in pain falling to his knees.

"Scar, stop this now!" Alphonse cried.

"Please Scar, don't," Winry pleaded. "I thought you promised you would never do this again."

Granny went over to Gerald to assist him, wrapping a cloth around his arm to try to stop the bleeding.

Scar didn't say anything and grabbed Azura by the face and lifted her up. "Now, let Ishbala pass judgment on you!"

"Shut up… just shut up…" Azura whispered, tears sliding down her face. "I didn't come this far just to be killed by someone like you. You think just by killing people you think you're passing judgment down on them?"

Scar just frowned at her.

"You're just like Gerald when I first met him… only with freaky powers. You think your so high and mighty… but where will you go… when **you **die? It sure as Hell isn't going to be heaven. I know I'm going to Hell… I've accepted that as my fate… I'm not delusional like you!"

Scar growled and was just about to kill her when suddenly he felt Rose wrap her arms around his waist.

"Please! Stop this violence now!" She started to sob. "Please my love, stop this at once! I don't want to see anyone get killed…"

Scar stood there, frozen and silent. Then finally he let Azura drop to the floor. "I'm sorry, Rose…" he whispered.

Azura crawled over Gerald. "Oh God… I can't fix this… the arm has been completely destroyed!" She cried.

"Well Winry, looks like we'll have to fix him up a new arm," Granny said.

"Wha-what…?" Azura asked.

"We'll have to give him an automail. Come on Winry, let's get him fixed up before he dies of blood loss," Granny said and she and Winry help him up and took him away to get bandaged up.

Azura stood up and looked at Scar. Then suddenly she walked up to him, punching him in the face. "Bastard…! I should kill you for harming Gerald…"

"Azura, don't…" Alphonse said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Why not…? He attacks people he doesn't even know! How could you just let him live in your home!"

"I…"

"First… first my best friend kills herself… then her younger brother is transmuted to some crazy place… now this! I can't, fucking stand it anymore! Everywhere I go… everyone I love gets hurt… and always at the hands of you, bastards!" Azura cried, pointing at Scar.

"So what if I'm a demon…! I believe in God… and I know… this isn't how he gets his work done. What kind of God do you worship!

"I have tried my hardest to be a good person... I really have… and I don't need a person I just met to tell me how much of an evil person I am! You don't know anything! You just don't!"

"Come now, my dear. Gerald is asking for you," Granny said, pulling her away.

"Gerald… I'm here…" Azura said, walking to Gerald's side and sitting down in the chair next to him. She took a hold of his remaining hand and squeezed it gently.

"That Scar…" he chuckled, "is amazing…"

"What…?" Azura breathed.

"I remember when I was exactly like that… talking of God all the time… when I still believed in God that is. When I was young, I thought I was doing exactly that… passing on his judgment and all that shit..." Gerald chuckled again. "Maybe… maybe I was fated to lose my arm… so I could never shoot another human being ever again." Suddenly tears started to leak out of his eyes. "It's funny… I can still feel my arm…" Gerald closed his eyes and was soon fast asleep.

"What do you want?" Azura suddenly asked.

Scar walked in to the room. "I am… sorry… I know nothing I say will ever make up for what I've done but…"

"Just shut up, okay?" Azura said, without turning around. "I don't want to hear your apologies. I want to see them… for actions speak louder than words. Do you think by making some heart felt speech about how sorry you are, I'll forgive you for harming Gerald and trying to kill me?"

"No… I wasn't expecting that at all. But if there is a way…"

"Equivalent exchange, Scar… ever heard of it?"

"I…"

"It's when you give something up in exchange for something else. I want something from you in exchange for you taking away Gerald's arm." Azura stood up and walked towards Scar.

Scar just stood there watching her.

"Stand still, and don't move," she said and suddenly she began punching him continually, Scar just standing there and taking it.

§§§

Gerald lay on the operating table, wires and tubes everywhere.

"Okay… Alphonse, you hold his legs down and Azura you hold down his arm while Winry attaches the automail," Granny instructed.

"Don't worry… I… can take whatever pain that comes my way…" Gerald said.

"Let's just hope so…" Granny muttered. "On the count of three now…! One… two… three…!"

Winry attached the arm and suddenly a blinding pain shot up Gerald's body. He gritted his teeth and his hand clenched and unclenched in to a fist. Sweat beaded down his forehead and it took all his will not to scream out in total agony.

"Hang in there Gerald, it's almost over…" Granny reassured.

Suddenly Gerald's vision began to blur and before he knew it everything had gone black.

§§§

Gerald slowly opened his eyes and found Azura sleeping with her head resting on his chest. He smiled and without knowing, gently stroked her face with his right arm. He breathed in seeing the new metallic arm. It felt so natural… just like his real arm.

"Do you like it?" Winry asked, walking in to the room. "I made it myself."

"Thank you… so much… you've been so kind to me. You truly are amazing," Gerald said.

Winry blushed. "You're welcome… it was the least we could do… I'm sorry about Scar. We had really thought he had gotten over his old ways…"

"Don't worry… I believe it was fate… nothing more… you tell him… that I don't hate him. How can I hate someone… when I was once like that oh so many years ago?"

"How old are you?"

"A lot older than you, my dear…"

"I hope you don't mind me asking but… where did you get all those scars on your body?"

"You don't want to know…." And once again Gerald's eyes drifted closed and he fell asleep.


End file.
